Elastic wheel



Jan. 3l, 1928. 1,657,535

l s. c. HATFIELD ELASTIC WHEEL Original Filed Feb. 8, 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,535

s. C. HATFIELD ELASTIC WHEEL Original Filed Feb. 8. 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mac/L, www y 1 www Patented Jan. 3l, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

SCHUYLER C. HATFIELD, OF IBALTIMR-E, MARYLAND.

ELAsTro WHEEL;

.Application led February 8, 1917, Serial No. 147,374. Renewed March 24, 1922. Serial No. 546,515.

:i hub section with an annular pneumatic pad between the sections and means for limiting` the relative motion ci the parts to a radial plane.

In the distribution of elastic wheels, it is necessary to equip vehicles already provid ed with wheels and bearings of various nialces and there is considerable variation yin the diameter of the shaiitsand spindles and hence of the bearings and more particularly, or the moving or rotary portion ot the bearings to which the elastic wheels must be litted. In my Patent No. 1,410,300 dated March 2l, 1922, Serial No.V 147,373, l have described a wheel or a type of wheel which, though built in various sizes and adapted to be applied to various shafts and bearings, includes a hub, sleeve which is ci" uniform diameter in all the wheels to be manufactured so that these rings and all parts of the wheel outside ot' the rings may be made interchangeable and of the same standard size except for the necessary variation Vin the length oi the spokes and the circumference and diameter orc the outer rim in wheels of fic the different sizes. 4Inside of this sleeve are one or more spacing rings adapted to be tittcd to the shaft, or il it is a front wheel, the outer sleeve oi' the bearing.

lVhile the wheels which have been shown in my previous patents have a single pad between the two sections, it is very de sirable in the wheels which are intended to carry heavy loads, particularly for trucks, to use two pads side by side. The principal A.e objection to this, incident to the wheels which have been previously so constructed, is that the inside pad. is ditlicult oif access unless the entire wheel is removed, and the present in vention relates to the mounting oit the pads, whether there be one, two or more, on a mov able member which, while it is conveniently locked to the hub when the wheel. is set up, may be removed from the hub at will .and when it is removed will atlord convenient access to the pad or pads. ln the torni ot the invention shown, a removable ring or sleeve to which the pads are attached is seated on or passed over the standard size sleeve which is mounted on the bearings or on the shaft as above described, but the standard. size sleeve or cylinder is not a lil necessary element of the present invention.

Figure vl is a radial section on one side` only of the axis oi an elastic wheel, the outer vrim and spokes being omitted;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view or the same taken in the direction of the axis;

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure l of a slightly modiiied form; and

Figure l is a sectional plan on the line ll, 4l ot Figure l. Y

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the device consists of an inner or hub sec-` tion l and an outer or rim section 2 with annular pads 3 between the sections and annular' plates 4i for guidiing the parts and limiting the relative motion of the sections l and 2 to a radial plane. The hub section l is 'fastened either to the outer sleeve 5 of the bearing, or to the shaft, if'it is a driving wheel. ln the form oi wheel illustrated, there is a standard size sleeve or cylinder 6 supported on the sleeve 5 by spacing rings 7 which may be cut away internally to fit the sleeve of whatever size it happens to be. The rings 7 are fastened both to the sleeve 5 and to the sleeve or cylinder 6 so that the parte rotate together. n

The plates 4 are shown in the present instance in the form in which they are claimed in my second mentioned patent, that is, they have each a cylindrical flange 8, each overlying one end of the sleeve 6 and bolted thereto by radial bolts 9 which are spaced around the circumference of the flange 8 and the sleeve 6. The outer section 2 which carries the spokes, outer rim and tire not shown, provided with an inner rim 10 engaged by the peripheries oilf the plates 4l to guide the outer section. y

The pads 3 are between the sections and serve to cushion the parts and dampen their relative motion. The present invent-ion relates to the manner of mounting these pads.

ln the ilorm oit the invention shown in Figures l and 2, therer is a sleeve ll divided transversely to its axis into three (parts, l2, 13 and ll, occupying one end, the entire central portion, and the other end of the hub' sui'iieient to enalfle i t to slide over the Sleeve The Sections l2, i3 and 'let interengage so that relative rotation is prevented hy means of interlockingq teeth l5. (lo-operating with the sleeve ll to hohl the pads or tir-ee` in position is a central, peripherzil head ltj secured to the Central #ertion lb oi the sleeve 'il and end tiende 1T :ind it each hitting' teeth i9 projecting; in\\\'ard radiallyv :ind kfittingl in elotn 2t) in the sleeve ll hetween the edge sections und the central eeetion. The inner periphery olf each tire is provided with an inner head 2l which may he split and the heads 1.6. LT and' itl are drawn together and canned to` grip the tire heads hy means o'lf` holte 22 parallel to the axis oit the Wheel and panning through the heads lO, 1T, 1:8 and l oli the hul) and et the tires respectively at registering points, theholts 22 heine' suiirientlyt numerous to cause the tires to he gripped with substantially uniform ii'itensity. The outer 'periplr ery ot each pad is provided with a head :3 and these are gripped and held in position in relation to the inner rini l0 oi the outer eeetion by nieane of heade1 2li, 25 and 2G at the inner edge the center and the outer edge of theV inner rini respectively. These heads torni no parto'l' the present invention and theyv may he Secured hy any suitable means, as pins or Screws Q7 and Q8. In the torni of the invention Shown, the parts have f l'nidiilel ineens in addition to the plates il. in the forni ot radial plate Q9 on `the huh engagging a groove 301 shown as formed in the head 25 on the enter section.

The parte are assembled hy tiret. Securing the tires or pads 3 to the inner riin of the outer section and then attaching the central seetion i3 of' the ring `1l ot the huh section to the inner peripheries of the tires. This is done hy placing` the Central Section 'lf3 in position relatively to the heads 9i, the head 1G being between the inner h mds E21. of the pad, and then plaeinnl the outer or end heads 17 and 1S in position with the teeth 1S) inthe Slots-Q0. inserting' the holts 2i? and then tightening` theni. 'lt it has4 heen removed, the rintgT or end section l2 in `seated in the position in which it in .fahon'ii hetween the flange 8 and the end ot the sleeve (l and the radial bolts 9 on this Side are inserted. The central sleeve sect-ion 13 is then slid over the sleeve 6 until the teeth 15 are brought into engagement and theinner riin hears against the plate 4- on the side oit the Section 12. Then the ring orseetion 1.4i is seated in a manner similar tothat ot the section l2; the annular plate 4 on that side is likewise seated with its flangeV 8 encircling the end of the. seetion l-i. The bolts 9 on the outside are seated and tightened and the asseinblinrr operation is complete.

It willige `eiisily apparent that if for any reaon, the pad 3 on the inner eide, which in the present instance ie comidered the lett side, ehould tail, aeee1- n may lle had to it lijir jacking up the wheel, reinoring;l the holte El on the righi. side, taking olif the plete l :1nd removing the pads' with the central election liu oi `the ring' ll, the outer Section oil" the Wheel heilig preterahliA removed :d the naine time.

'itelerringl to the Al'orni shown iu Figure 3, We have an elastic wheel IQiiuilar in gein eral ntructure to the one juz-it deserilled, diiiering nininlj,Y as to the details ol the derivi` ior Seeuring.;1 the padri 3 to the huh and thie. is similar in that it renirivahle with lfioth padel 'troni either sfide exifcpt for the ohm struction on one side due to the llodj; oli the Atranne of the vehieie. ieeeesi to the parte is had by removing one plate -l and Sliding; the sleeve which carri-es the pads ott' ol the huh. The pads are carried hy n sleeve or cylinder 30 adapted to slide over the huh and notched or toothed at l at eaeh edge to engage eorreepoinlinfly notched rines e and 33, each proifided with n. tire engaging head which cti-operates with the central head 2li-l on the sleeve. Eaeh oli the rings 3&2 and Il?, is notched as to its outer Surface at :i5 to engage radial pins Whieh are Seated in the huh, the pins 3G on the inside, i. e., the side tovard the vehicle body, heine; moet non i'eniently made to he pernianently attached to the huh, and the pins 3T on the outeide heing preln'ahlyO tapering and prrniided with any Suitable means hy which they may he Withdrawn. as a groove 3S to he engaged hy a screw driver 'lor pieingthe pine loner. The `pine 3T are in turn held in position Irv a looking; rinor El!) hiiriner a cover plete Alll which orerlies the pinel 3T When in poeitlon and prevents them `from boing withdrawn until the ring; is removed. The pads ma.;i he Secured to the inner rino l1 oit the outer .L f"'- tion oi the wheel hy a fixed central head -lfl and removable edge header altij. The inner peripheral heads ftlot the pads: are paeered over the eji'linder -ll'l lfroln veel end and clamped against the central head del; hi: the edge heads 3Q andi-l?, which nre pi .ad inI Ward and held h r the holle-i f1.7 spaeeil at suitable intervals. lVlien ther-4e perte have heen thus clamped tfmjether, the sleeve Fl() and the rings 32 and 33 are paesed over the huh from the right sid-e seen in Figure 5l. the notches in the ring` 3Q rereii'ing the radial pins 3G. Then these parts are in position, the pins 37 are driven into their sockets and the locking ringr 39 ie passed over the huh until the plate 4 0 covers the pine. The plate 4 at the right is then Seated and fastened hy bolts 9.

To obtain access to the ineide tire, the outside plate 4 iS removed, the locking ring,r 39 is likewise removed, the pins 3T are 'Withdrawn when the sleeve 30 with the rings 3). und 33 are Withdrawn carrying with them the pads and the outer section of the Wheel. In this Way convenient access is had to the inner pad though one face of the outer pad is exposed by inerely removing the plate 4.

Either olf these devices may be appli-ed .in an obvious manner to a Wheel having but a single pad, access to the inner or lett side of the pad, as seen in Figure 3, being had in 'the .inanner already described.

I have thus described specifically and in detail two embodiments of my invention in order that its nature and operation may be clearly understood.; however, the specific terins herein are used descriptively rather than in their limiting sense and the scope of the invention is defined in the claims:

l. 1n an elastic wheel. a hub sect-ion, an outer section, a plurality of pneumatic pads between the sections, a sleeve litting over the hub and a central bead to co-operate with the inner peripheries of the pads, tivo toot-hed rings each being notched to engage the sleeve which is correspondingly notched and toothed, each said ring carrying a b-ead to engage a. pad, means for drawing the rings toward the central bead to grip the peripheral portions of the pads, and means for preventing rotation of the rings relatively to the hub.

2. In an elastic Wheel in combination, an inner or hub section, an outer or rim section, cushioning means coinprisin g an annular pad between the sections, means for securing the outer periphery of the pad to the outer section, a sleeve adapted to slide over the hub section with means for securing the inner 'periphery of the pad thereto, the sleeve being apertured at the side, and removable means on the hub to engage the apertures at the side of the sleeve to prevent rotation of the sleeve and pad relatively to the hub.

Signed by ine at Baltimore, Maryland, this 31st day of January, 1917.

SCHUYLER C. HATFIELD. 

